The Real Business Podcast

Your brand is one of your most valuable intangible business assets. In this episode David Roth, serial entrepreneur, brand strategist, and founder of Get Stirred Up, joins Brian Trzcinski to discuss how branding, intellectual property, and customer perception can significantly impact enterprise value. Drawing on his experience building and selling the groundbreaking Cereality cereal café concept, David shares practical strategies business owners can use to strengthen their value proposition, protect intangible assets, and create a more transferable, sellable business. Tune in for actionable insights on turning your brand into a true driver of business growth and long-term value.

In this episode, we turn the tables and interview our host, MassMutual's Brian Trzcinski on why owners should always be “transaction-ready.” We cover how business owners can start planning without feeling overwhelmed by building the right advisory team, preparing for unexpected events, navigating family business dynamics, and planning for both the financial and personal realities of life after the business.

In this episode, Brian Trzcinski welcomes Jason Early, Founder and CEO of RISR, to open our 2026 series with an important question for business owners: Do You Own An Asset or The World's Most Stressful Job? Too often, owners don't align their business goals with their financial objectives. They haven't spent time thinking about what's important to them post-exit and don't know how to best drive value to the business. Brian and Jason will discuss why its important to treat the business like an asset, and how that approach can help an owner gain clarity in what the business is worth, the role the business can play in current and future income needs, and the risks that can threaten it all. 

In this episode, MassMutual's Brian Trzcinski welcomes Jeff Armstrong, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Cultivate Advisors, to discuss ways business owners can begin building an effective value growth strategy. Research says value growth is the top success metric that owners track, and Jeff will share how to set realistic expectation about their growth potential with guidance on how to get there. 

In this episode, MassMutual's Brian Trzcinski welcomes Micah Brandenburg, President, Legendary Exits to discuss key findings from MassMutual's latest Business Owner Perspectives Study. Brian and Micah discuss topics ranging from value growth to transition planning to coordinating business and personal planning. The results from the survey indicate there are lots of opportunities for owners to plan, grow and protect their most valuable asset.

Guest: Micah Brandenburg of Legendary Exits

https://legendaryexits.com/

John Bartlett, Founder of Brentwood Growth, joins MassMutual's Brian Trzcinski to discuss what every business owner should know about the process of selling a business. In this episode, John and Brian discuss not just best practices for the sale itself, but also the steps owners should take before and after the sale to ensure the business and the owner have an experience worthy of the sweat equity they've put in building a successful business. 

A buy-sell agreement is one of the most common business planning strategies. It's vital to business continuity in the event of an unforeseen circumstance. And yet, it's one strategy that's often not implemented properly. In this episode, MassMutual's Brian Trzcinkski, a Certified Exit Planning Advisor and Director of Business Owner Markets at MassMutual welcomes Michele Collins, an Estate and Business planning attorney with MassMutual, to discuss the ins, outs and pitfalls of buy-sell agreements.

In this episode Brian welcomes David Curylo, Head of Workplace Retirement Solutions at MassMutual to discuss qualified plans and how they can be instrumental in attracting and retaining employees. Brian and David will discuss all the pros and cons, as well as the implications of the Secure Act that Congress recently passed into law and Pooled Employer Plans that make offering retirement plans even easier for business owners. 

In this episode, we welcome Allen Esrock, Founder of NxtGen Nexus. Allen was raised in a successful family business, but rather than take it over, he made the decision to pursue other career goals. Allen shares what makes the next generation of business owners unique, how best to communicate with them, and why understanding their passions, motivations, and goals can make all the difference when ensuring a successful family business transition. 

In this episode, Value Builder Senior Vice President Laura Ferguson joins us to discuss the importance of business owners documenting and communicating their "endgame." This crucial conversation can help owners more effectively run their businesses today with their desired future goals in mind, as well as determine what they need financially from the business when they are ready to leave, how they wish to transition ownership, and what is a realistic timeline for exit. The sooner you start planning, the more likely you are to exit on your terms.